The present invention relates generally to the collection of radiant energy from solar sources. A particular type of solar collector is the cylindrical collector, which is formed by extending a transverse cross section longitudinally to form a trough-like structure, examples of which are described in a publication, Solar Energy, Vol. 16, No. 2, pages 89-85 (1974). Prior art cylindrical collectors generally possess uniform concentration for all angles of incidence of radiant energy. For heating and cooling applications, however, the load varies with the seasons, e.g. heating in winter and cooling in the summer. A solar collector with seasonably variable concentration would be advantageous if of simpler design than the collectors of uniform output now known.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a device for collecting and concentrating solar radiation.
Another object of this invention is to provide a non-imaging solar energy collection device with seasonably variable concentration.